Oct 09, 2012

3D Printing: The end of the globalised supply chain?

Supply Chains are governed by technology, which dictates the way we
manufacture and distribute goods. This new technology, however, may
completely remove the market for a globalised supply chain.

The modern supply chain is all about globalisation. Shipping lines,
freight forwarders and airlines depend on moving vast quantities of
consumer goods on a daily basis, providing Western markets with items
manufactured in the Far East.

According to industry experts, however, this could all be about to
change. A potential threat to the logistics industry, 3D Printing has
the ability to revolutionise production techniques, allowing the use of
more automation and thus saving on cost.

Originally developed as an automated method to produce prototypes, 3D
Printing builds up layers of material (plastics, ceramics or metal
powders) using a computer-aided design to create a three-dimensional
product. Able to manufacture items with minimal human assistance, a
large number of 3D printers could be a cost-effective way to produce any
small product or part without a large workforce -meaning the
manufacturer is able to move production closer to the end user at a low
cost.

In a White Paper recently released by the industry site Transport
Intelligence, John Manners-Bell, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Transport Intelligence and Ken Lyon, CEO of Virtual Partners
has created a projection of a potential future with 3D Printers at the
centre, looking at how the logistics industry may be sidelined and how
it could adapt to sit alongside this new technology. ...